The Seville & Miller Chronicles: Vampire's Lament
by AllyBaby31695
Summary: Simon and the gang think things couldn't get any more hectic... WRONG! Now, Ian's back, and this time, he's back with a vengance, and so are some other faces, some new and some old. Originally named "Runaways".
1. Chapter 1: Old Faces, New Sparks

"Vicki, I can't take you to the store!" I heard Ally cry out as I woke up.

"But Awwy!" Victoria yelled back. "PWEASE!"

Dustin came upstairs with the mail. "Hold your horses, girls!" he shouted. "We got a letter from Vinny!"

_Thank God, _I thought. _Finally._

"What's it say?" I asked Dustin, who brought us all downstairs into the living room.

"It says:

_'Dear Simon and Jeanette,_

_'I hope the two of you are alright with your friends. I'm jammed at the office right now. There's so much paperwork that needs to get done that I won't be home for a while. I'm sending the five of you down to Chipmunk Island in a few days. There's no tuition price, so the five of you are getting all-expenses paid trips down there._

_'Simon, I'm counting on you to make sure they get there safely. Good luck!_

_'Love, Vinny'_

_Oh, yeah. Sure, Mom. Leave me with the hardest job._

"Okay, here's the game plan," I began, "Ally, Dustin: you two stay here and start packing up for the trip. Jeanette and I will go with Vicki to the mall."

I heard a slight "Yay!" come out of Vicki's mouth as Jeanette, Vicki and I went out the door and headed for the mall.

When Vicki and I were in one of the department stores in the mall, she completely blindsided me when she asked, "Why do you and Jenny get all the cool powers?"

I had never thought of that. "I don't know," I said. "I don't know why I get all of the powers."

She grabbed a small bracelet with a charm and wrapped it around my wrist. "Perfect!"

"Um, Vicki... I thought you were getting this for yourself."

"Nope... You like it, don't you?" She was giving me the "puppy-dog face" as we walked towards the registers.

"I do."

"Then you can get it. I don't need it."

I ruffled her hair. "That's very sweet of you."

After checking out, Vicki and I made our way to the food court, where Jeanette was catching up with Alvin, Brittany, Theodore and Eleanor.

"It's so nice to see you again, Jeanette," Eleanor asked, sipping her smoothie afterwards.

"Yeah, we thought you were never gonna make it out," Alvin added.

"Well, let's just be glad she's here with us right now."

I laughed. "I couldn't agree more."

The four of them raced over to me. "Simon!"

Next thing I knew, I was getting cramped between everyone's hugs.

"Guys, you're killing me here," I told them.

"That's good," came another voice. "That means I don't have to see you."

I turned around. "What are _you _doing here?"

"Just back in L.A for a few days before going back to DC."

"That doesn't mean you have to ruin our little reunion, Charlene."

Charlene turned to her friend. "See, Savannah? I told you nerds were nothing but trouble."

Alvin pulled Brittany away from us. "We gotta go. Theo, Ellie: we gotta get back to the hotel."

"Right," Theodore said. "See you guys later."

Just then, Savannah dropped her bag. Being the gentleman I was, I picked it up for her.

I got smacked for it.

"That's what you get for touching my stuff," she yelled as I made my way back to one of the tables to rest for a minute or two. I wasn't about to test them again, but there still had to be some way to convince Savannah of Charlene's misbehavior.

And he knew exactly how to do it.


	2. Chapter 2: Conquest

I decided just to lay low and get some lunch before I tried anything. Going over to the counter for my favorite place in the food court, I ran into Charlene and Savannah again. This time, there were disasterous results.

"What the hell are you doing in _our_ line?" Charlene growled.

"I just came to get lunch," I answered back smugly. "I'm afraid you're in _my_ line, ladies."

Savannah pushed Charlene aside and ran out of our way. "Great, Simon," Charlene said sarcastically. "You made my best girl run away. Now, who else am I going to get to kick your ass?"

All of a sudden, six girls (all human) appeared behind her, fists balled up. Then Savannah came from where she was and stood in front of me, facing the crowd of girls.

"If you want him, you're going to have to go through me," she said.

Charlene was surprised to see Savannah oppose her. "Why are you on _his_ side? You should be with me!"

"Sorry, but I've had a change of heart, Charlene. It seems nerds are better than you are in my food chain. Now, leave this kid alone!"

"All right, Savannah. You win, but I'm telling you, sister: you won't next time. Come on, girls!"

We watched her posse walk away and I tried darting back to my table before Savannah caught me by the arm. "We need to talk."

I sat myself at the table where I was sitting, and she grabbed her lunch and sat next to me.

"That was amazing, what you did back there," I said, nervous to talk to her.

"I know, but I guess that's just the way I roll," she answered.

I laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, I figured as much."

There was an awful, dreaded silence that followed our conversation. Savannah moved away from me, staring at the floor. "Sorry for treating you like shit earlier."

"It's okay. You have no idea how much of that I get on a daily basis."

Savannah looked back at me. "I better hide."

"No, it's okay. Charlene's not coming."

I watched as Savannah came over and sat next to me. She caressed her finger in the shape of a heart over and over on my chest.

"I'm sorry I treated you so badly earlier," she said sweetly. "Is there any way you can forgive me?"

Getting nervous, I had no idea what to say. Somehow, having her next to me felt... great. I felt her getting closer to me, and I couldn't help but enjoy the attention she was giving me.

"Yeah, I forgive you, but we have to talk about this later," I told her. "Here's really not the place for it to be discussed."

She smiled as she backed away. "Oh, right. I understand."

_She's sweeter than I expected,_ I thought. _And God, does she look sexy..._

_What are you saying? She's not sexy, no way in hell!_

_Oh, what's the point? She's _gorgeous_..._

_Get a hold of yourself, Simon. She's only going to use you like everyone else..._

"Earth to Simon!" Savannah called out, interrupting my thoughts. "Are you okay?"

I gulped. "Yeah, I'm fine." I gave myself a second to think of something to say. "Charlene's bitchy, huh?"

"Yeah... well, at least she didn't beat you up."

I laughed. "True. I actually expected that."

She took me by the hand. "Why don't I take you home?"

I smiled, blushing a little. "Thanks."

All of a sudden, the television turned on. "Hello, imbecils," rang a familair voice.

I froze. _Aww, hell..._

"This is your new president, Ian Hawke, speaking," he continued. "And as my first act as president, as of now, talking chipmunks are _not_ allowed."

_You had to make this harder on us. Didn't you, Ian?_

"Any talking chipmunks found anywhere in the country will be executed, along with those found in Puerto Rico."

_Well, at least now we know we can't hide in Puerto Rico._

That was all it took to get us running out of the mall.

_Welcome to hell._


	3. Chapter 3: Sailing Away

When Savannah and I came back, everyone was still in shock about Ian taking over.

"Guys, we have to get out of here," I told them.

"Yeah," Savannah added. "Otherwise, Ian's gonna kill us!"

Everyone instantly got up and ran for their rooms. Well, all except Jeanette.

"Who's this?" she asked. "Your girlfriend?"

I looked down and noticed Savannah and I were holding hands. I let go of Savannah's hand. "No," I told her, sounding defensive.

"Umm... how about I help you guys pack?" Savannah asked.

Jeanette smiled. "Sure. I could use a little help."

We all finished packing in about an hour, and we all decided we wanted to meet up with my brothers and the rest of the group down by the port.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Alvin's cell number.

"Hello?" came Alvin's voice on the other end.

"Alvin, it's me. Meet us down by the port."

"Thank God you said that. I was about to call you to see if you heard the message."

"Good. Give us about five minutes."

"Alright, bro. See you there. Bye."

"Bye."

In almost three minutes, we all met at the local boat port, my feet feeling as if they were bleeding.

We saw a cruise ship coming to the dock, so we decided to sneak aboard when all the passengers got off.

A group of high school students were coming off the cruise ship, and I had something else in mind.

"Change of plans. We're going to follow this group of kids and try to blend in."

Everyone did as I had instructed, and the first person I came in contact with was a male, a teacher, I assumed.

I decided to play the "innocent child" card. "Excuse me, sir," I began, pulling on his pant leg. "I think we're lost."

The male of African-American descent turned around and kneeled down to my level, noticing that I wasn't a human. "Wait a minute... you're-"

"Don't say it. I know. My brothers, my friends and I need help getting to Chipmunk Academy."

"Well, why didn't you say so? How many of there are you?"

"Fourteen."

He paused for a second. "It'll be a tight squeeze, but I'll sneak you in. Unfortunately, we have more room in the girls' suites, not the boys'."

"I can deal with that."

"Splendid. I'll tell Ms. Tuttwiller to turn the kids back to the boat. We'll do a head count of your group once everyone's on."

"Deal."

"The name is Mr. Moesby, by the way."

"Simon Seville. Pleasure to meet you."

"Same here."

I followed him as everyone went back to the boat. When everyone gathered on the deck, I took a head count. "Twelve, thirteen... fourteen. Everyone with me is here."

"Excellent." His voice got louder. "Now, everyone, I have changed the roommate listings for the first semester. If I don't call your name, you have the same roommates as before." He paused. "London, you're paired up with... Brittany Miller and Allycia DeGardo."

"Oooh!" I saw a tall, black-haired girl with a glittery shirt on, shout. "Are they rich?"

"If you say 'yes', will it shut her up?" I asked Moesby.

"Yes," he replied.

"Go on."

"Of course they are!"

The girl clapped her hands. "Yay me!"

"Next, Cody, you're with... Theodore Seville and Jake Hudson."

I saw a blonde boy motioning them over. He was wearing a sweater vest and had a "Sherlock Holmes" book under his arm.

_Thank God, _I thought.

"Zack, you're with... Alvin Seville and Dustin Lane."

I saw another blonde kid high-fiving them.

_Well, that figures. They get the jock._

"Maddie, you're with... Eleanor Miller and Kelly Parker."

Another blonde, a female this time, smiled. "Cool!"

"Woody, you're with... Savannah Jones."

Savannah began to be sarcastic. "Yay, I get the biggest dork in the entire room."

"Marcus, you're with... Wendy Thomas."

A hispanic kid in the corner just waved at Wendy.

"And, finally... Bailey, you're with... Simon Seville and Jeanette Miller."

_Yes! _I thought. _I don't get someone that sucks!_

A light-brown haired girl came up to me, her arm around Jeanette's shoulder. "You must be Simon," she assumed. "I'm Bailey." She put her arm around my shoulder. "Come on, let's get to my dorm."


	4. Chapter 4: Every Day's a Surprise

Bailey took us up to her dorm, and Jeanette and I instantly fell in love with it. It was sort of a "country chic" theme.

Don't ask me how I know that; Theodore just loves making me watch "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition".

"Your place is GREAT, Bailey!" Jeanette exclaimed as she made her way to one of the beds.

"Thanks," Bailey said. "So, why are you two here and not home?"

"Did you go online at all today?" I asked.

"No."

"Well, you probably should. It's, like, front page material."

Bailey got on her computer, logged onto the Internet and went to the news page. Sure enough, there was an article about Ian on the home page.

She was speechless.

"We know," I told her. "It's horrible." I looked away from them, trying to hide the tears. "I'll be in the bathroom if you need me."

Jeanette and Bailey just stared at me as I went inside the bathroom.

There was something still stuck in my pocket when I went into the bathroom: a knife. _Must've been from the hotel or something, _I thought.

I grabbed it, placing the edge of the blade on my wrist. I only slid the blade with a little pressure to make an incision that pierced my skin and began to bleed.

I forced myself into the bathtub after taking off my clothes and turning on the hot water. The blood coming from my cut landed in the water, making it turn blood red. The cut began to sting as the water kept rising. I tried to turn off the faucet, but it was stuck. The next thing I knew, I was drowning in my own blood.

As soon as I gained consciousness, I was on the island already. Someone I had never seen before was standing over me, along with Savannah.

"Dani, is he gonna be okay?" Savannah asked.

The girl standing over me, whom I assumed was Dani, looked at her. "He will be... for now."

I looked up. "What's going on?"

Dani grabbed my hand. "Savannah found you in that bathroom, so we decided to bring you out here." She looked a little nervous.

The three of us noticed there was a full moon rising. Dani ran off, while Savannah stayed by my side.

"What's with her?" I asked.

Savannah had a nervous look on her face. She just sighed and said, "Listen, there's something I need to tell you." She got down on her hands and knees as her fur and appearance became more... beastly. When I saw the final product from the transformation, I got nervous.

"This isn't what it looks like," she told me. "I wasn't born like this. Some... freakish monster made me this way. Please don't be afraid of me."

"I'm sorry, but it's a little late for that," I answered. "This is a little new to me."

"Promise you won't tell anyone?"

I gulped. "I promise."

"Thanks, Si. You're awesome."

"I appreciate that, but I'm gonna go find out what's wrong with Dani."

She grabbed my arm. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Well, why not?"

"She's... not really a people person at night."

I didn't comment, leaving the topic alone. So instead, I went off and headed in Dani's direction so I could safely - and discreetly - spy on her.


	5. Chapter 5: Venom

Keeping a safe distance from Dani, I followed her to one of the dorm housing places my mom developed for Chipmunk Academy.

_Looks like she's already got students enrolled, _I thought.

I saw a light flicker on the third floor.

_Crap... why does her room have to be so high up?_

Thankfully, years of spying on Alvin from the _outside_ of the house finally paid off. I was able to scale one of the trees and see into her room. Black wallpaper, black makeup, black bedsheets...

_Emo, probably,_ I assumed. _She's got the look of one._

_Maybe she's..._

_No way in hell, Simon. She's NOT a vampire. Only human beings can practically become vampires..._

_Right?_

All of a sudden, I witnessed her turn into a bat. She made her way for the open window I was looking through.

I was getting attacked.

Jumping off of the tree, I ran back to a dorm with my name on it and locked it from the outside so no one could come in.

Taking a few deep breaths, I went into my private bathroom and grabbed the knife out of my pocket again. I made an incision on the opposite arm than the time before and tried instead to clean it off in the sink instead of in the bathtub. Inside, I wished things were different. I wished that I weren't around so that way I wouldn't have to put up with all this misery.

Standing behind me, her entire body missing from the reflection in the mirror, was Dani.

And her fangs were about to bite...

I felt an intense pain in his neck, buckling me to my knees. For a few straight minutes, I felt nothing but the pain on his neck. Then, everything grew dark and silent.

I was dead...

* * *

**(Third Person POV for this part of chapter ONLY: rest of story will be Simon's)**

Dani was standing face to face with her "boss", a certain Mister Shawn Morgan.

"Azrael, how many times have I told you?" Morgan yelled. "You were supposed to _kill_ the boy, not _revitalize _him!"

"How many times have I told _you, _sir? I am NOT a killing machine!" Dani (a.k.a. Azrael) yelled back. "I refuse to kill ANYONE! You know that very well!"

"Excuse me! How dare you go against my authority!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm under a new authority: MY OWN!"

"Well, just know that he _will _be mine."

"Oh no, he won't!" Dani was holding up a clove of garlic and a stake.

Morgan froze. "You wouldn't..."

"I will, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Out of anger, she drove the stake in her hand into Morgan's chest and through his limp, undead heart. The clove of garlic made it harder for him to breathe, and within seconds, Morgan was dead... for good.

Thankfully, there was still a way that Simon could live: he would just have to be a vampire.

Dani sat down and she began to sing:

_**When I was younger**_  
_**I saw my daddy cry**_  
_**And curse at the wind**_  
_**He broke his own heart**_  
_**And I watched**_  
_**As he tried to reassemble it**_

_**And my momma swore that**_  
_**She would never let herself forget**_  
_**And that was the day that I promised**_  
_**I'd never sing of love**_  
_**If it does not exist**_

_**But darling,**_  
_**You are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception**_  
**_  
_**Dani only had one chance to save him. She raced for the infirmiry, where Simon was still in the hospital, Savannah sitting by his side.

"I heard about what happened," Savannah explained about her reason for being there.

She stuttered. "I- I never meant to-"

"It's okay. I saved him halfway for you."

"Wait, so maybe he'll be..."

"He definitely will if you help the transition for the other half of his body."

"I can do that."

**_Maybe I know somewhere_**  
_**Deep in my soul**_  
_**That love never lasts**_  
_**And we've got to find other ways**_  
_**To make it alone**_  
_**Keep a straight face**_

_**And I've always lived like this**_  
_**Keeping a comfortable, distance**_  
_**And up until now**_  
_**I had sworn to myself that I'm**_  
_**Content with loneliness**_

_**Because none of it was ever worth the risk**_

_**Well, y**__**ou are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception**_

Savannah noticed something different in Dani's eyes. "Your lightbulbs are pink, Dani. You're in love."

Dani tried to hide her face as she continued the procedure. "No, I'm not."

"Face it, girl. You like him."

She sighed. "Yeah, I do."

"Now, was that so hard?"

Dani laughed. "Enough of this, Savi."

"So much for the girl who'll never fall in love."

"Will you ever shut up, Savannah?"

Dani did have a crush on Simon. Just a little one, but it did count. She only hoped it wouldn't be with her temptation issues.

Then she thought, _'He's a vampire. And a werewolf... No problem.'_

_**I've got a tight grip on reality, **__**but I can't**_  
_**Let go of what's in front of me here**_  
_**I know you're leaving**_  
_**In the morning, when you wake up**_  
_**Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream**_

_**Ohh**_

_****__**You are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception**_

_**You are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception  
**__**You are the only exception**_

_**And I'm on my way to believing**_  
_**Oh, And I'm on my way to believing**_

On her way out with Savannah, Dani kissed Simon before anyone could notice. She hoped that would "seal the deal", if you get what I'm saying.


	6. Chapter 6: The Aftermath

**(Back to Simon's POV for rest of story)**

I woke up in Dani's room the next morning, and realizing that Dani was in the room, I ran for cover.

"No," Dani said, "please don't do this."

Even though I wanted badly to move, I was still scared of Dani just a little.

"Simon," she called out, "please don't be afraid of me."

There was something different about Dani that made me come out. I don't know what it was, but it made me more comfortable around her.

She smiled. "You feel weird at all?"

"No," I answered.

"Good. You didn't pick up a side effect."

I stood there, confused. "I beg your pardon?"

She cringed. "Oh, right. You don't know."

"Know about what, exactly?"

Dani grabbed a mirror. "This."

I was speechless when I saw absoultely no reflection of my self in the mirror.

"Wh-What happened to me?" I finally managed to ask.

Dani didn't answer me as she made her way to her bed and sat down.

"Come on, Dani. You can tell me anything."

She sighed. "I was the one that bit you last night."

I laughed. "Is that it? ... I figured as much."

Dani raised an eyebrow. "You're not mad?"

"Nonsense. It's not like you're Edward Cullen who started regretting his life and murdering everyone."

"You know that bastard?"

I suddenly became nervous again. "Yes, but I'm not a fan of him, either."

"Well, thank God for that. I was the last person he hunted before I left."

"How'd you get out?"

"Savannah and Jacob. They found me wandering the streets before they decided to pull me out of the war zone."

I put my arm around her. "Well, at least you're here now."

Dani smiled. "Want me to show you the perks of being a vampire?"

"What the hell? I'm game."

She smiled. "Well, to start, you can't see yourself in any _regular_ mirror." She handed me a smaller mirror. _"This _is a mirror specially made for vampires."

For the first time since the incident, I was finally able to look in a mirror. My usual brown fur was lighter, almost off-white, and my gray-blue eyes had turned an immaculate gold.

"You look kinda sexy as a vampire," Dani told me as she glided her finger across the back of my neck.

"Shut up," I ordered.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. You're not _just_ a vampire."

I sat up. "I'm not?"

"No, you're a vampire _and_ a werewolf."

"Get out."

"Yep, you're a vampire/werewolf hybrid. No one's ever done that before."

I felt weird while I continued to talk to Dani. The next thing I knew, I was on all fours, and I couldn't speak.

"Hmm... what's wrong, boy?" I could sense the tease in her voice. I growled at her. "Easy there, killer. I was just playing with you... You can't talk, can you?"

I nodded.

"Okay... minor setback," she said as I transformed back to my original self, "but I'm sure we'll find a way to get around that."

"Let's hope so," I told her.

Dani froze with her hands over her mouth. "Oh, shit! We're gonna be late!"

I was confused. "Late for what?"

"School!"

_You've got to be kidding me..._


	7. Chapter 7: Creep

After a quick change of clothes, Dani and I were able to get to class before the bell. I took the empty seat next to a girl named Andrea Markson.

"Hey, you jerk!" Andrea yelled. "My boyfriend's sitting there!"

Behind me was her boyfriend, who seemed really pissed at me.

"Howie, this nerd stole your seat!" she cried out.

I swiftly moved out of the way to let him sit down. All of a sudden, someone pulled me to the back of the room.

"First lesson," the kid said, "_never_ associate with the 'Terrible Two-some'. They're risky business."

"Uh... thanks, I guess," I said back.

"The name's Mitch, This here's Nathan and his girlfriend, Carol. We're just waiting for Dani. Know where she is by any chance?"

"Yeah, right over there." I noticed that she was coming towards us. "Here she comes."

Dani smiled. "Cool, I see you're in with the Vamp Crew."

My eyes went wide. "They're vamps, too?"

"Um, DUH! Why else do their teeth look sharp?"

"Oh, right."

"Guys, this is Simon. We kinda 'found' him, I kinda snapped and attacked him, but we were able to save him just in time."

"Nice to meet all of you."

Mitch held out his hand to meet mine. "Same here, man."

Carol shot me a smile as the bell rang. "See ya 'round, cowboy. C'mon, Nathan."

"She's what we like to call a 'dixie chick'," Dani said as we made our way out. "She's a southern belle that knows how to whoop ass and bring on the boys, though she's only fourteen."

"I thought we were all ten here."

"We are, but ten in chipmunk years is fourteen in human years. So we're all fourteen, technically."

Not wanting to bother with the logic, I simply just shrugged.

"Attention students," Vinny called out over the intercom. "This Friday will be our Halloween Ball. Make sure you dress in costume. There will be a contest for best costume. See you then."

"Geez," Dani said. "Sometimes, Vinny can be such a stick in the mud."

"Yeah, I know," Mitch added. "She's a little over the top."

I froze and crossed my arms. "That's my mother you're talking about, you two."

From the looks on their faces, they seemed totally shocked.

Dani was the first to say anything. "She's your mom?"

Mitch laughed. "Damn... Sorry, man. We didn't mean that."

"It's alright. She's usually only like that when she's mad at Alvin."

"So, we shouldn't be worried, then?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Good," Dani said. "I thought she must've just been PMSing or something."

Mitch and I stood frozen.

"It's a girl thing." She turned to join Brittany, Savannah and Jeanette, waving. "See you guys later!"

"So, you going to that dance Friday?"

I sighed. "Probably not. If I am, I'm just going with friends. No big thing."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I was actually gonna ask Dani to the dance. Do you mind?"

"No, I guess not. I mean, we are just friends. And I'm sure it's something you can brag at Nathan about."

Mitch laughed. "That's true."

All of a sudden, the lights in the hallways shut completely off.

"What the hell just happened?" I asked, suddenly full of fear.

"Don't know, man," came Mitch's reply.

The two of us heard a whisper saying, "Get out..."

We ran like hell out of the building and back to our own dorms, where I made a call to the only mystery group I knew.

"Hello, this is the Blake residence," a woman answered on the other end. "May I ask who's calling?"

"Yes, Diane, this is Simon Seville," I told her.

"Oh, Simon! I haven't seen you since you came to Daphne's fashion show!"

"Daphne was actually who I wanted to talk to."

"I'll get her on the line..."

Waiting a second for a reply, I heard Daphne say, "Hello?"

"Hey, Daph. It's Simon."

"Oh, wow! I haven't heard your voice since-"

"I know, Daphne. I know... Listen, I need you guys to come check something out."

"You mean like a mystery?"

"Exactly."

Daphne squealed. "We'll be on our way!"

"Alright, Daph. I'll see you when you get here."

"Bye!"

_Well, she seems happy,_ I thought as I lied down on the couch in my dorm and turned on the TV.


	8. Chapter 8: Kathy

Forty-five minutes later, I heard a knock on my door. I got up to answer it.

"Simon, there's someone downstairs waiting to see you," my mother told me.

I raced down the hall. "She's here early!" I said. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

Sure enough, Daphne was standing in the lobby alongside Fred, Velma, Shaggy, Scooby and another chipmunk about the same age as me, who was hiding behind Velma's legs.

"I told you, Freddie!" Daphne bragged. "I knew he was here!"

"You don't have to brag about it," Fred muttered.

"Well, look who's here!" Velma exclaimed.

"Good to see you again, man!" Shaggy called out.

"Thanks, guys," I said in return, hugging each of them and scratching Scooby behind the ear. "So, who missed me the most since I visited?"

Fred, Velma and Shaggy all said one word in unison: "Daphne."

"Yeah," Daphne agreed. "I guess I missed you more than I needed to. You're just so cute!"

"Daphne, I'm fourteen. You can stop pinching my cheeks now."

I could see her blush as she stood back up. "Why don't we get on with this mystery already?"

Velma turned behind her. "Come on, Katherine. He's not gonna bite."

"Yeah, not like the other boys you bring home," Daphne added.

"Hey, you can't blame her, Daph. She's just a kid... Kathy, you'll be fine. Just let go of my legs."

I watched as Kathy came out from behind Velma and shyly waved at me. I waved back, showing her that I wasn't someone to be afraid of.

"How'd you keep her away from Ian and his military?" I finally asked.

"She hid in our van for a couple weeks," Fred answered. "She was good company, but she needs to be here, where it's safe for her. Do you think you could show her around, if you don't mind my asking?"

I smiled. "Sure," I told him.

Kathy came closer to me. "Thanks," she said.

"No problem. You guys get started on the mystery. I'll show Kathy here what Chipmunk Academy's all about."

Taking Kathy by the hand, I led her away from the rest of the group.

"So, how was life with Shaggy and Scooby for a bit?" I asked, trying to make her feel comfortable.

"It was interesting, I suppose," she said in reply. "I mean, I don't eat like a hog, but I was able to catch up with their cooking."

"You cook?"

She blushed. "Yeah, in my spare time."

"Cool. Maybe you can hang out with my brother sometime. He's into food like nobody's business."

"I'd love to."

All of a sudden, the lights went out and the creepy voice again. Feeling around in her purse, Kathy pulled out an LED light.

"Take the lead," she said, tossing me the flashlight.

Racing up the stairs, the two of us found my dorm and hid inside. The lights came back on, and the two of us sighed in relief.

"Alright, we're solving this ourselves," I determined. "It's time whoever's doing this was put to a stop."

We made our way towards the basement, where the switchboard was for the lights.

"Nothing seems out of place," I said.

Kathy spotted something. "What's this for?" She pointed to an attachment outside of the door.

I decided to take a closer look. "It seems to be a timer. Don't know whatit's for, but it's hooked up to the main light switch... T-minus five seconds and counting."

Looking stunned, Kathy ran out to get away. I decided to stick around and see what would happen. At the end of the timer, the lights went out again. I was able to dismantle the timer, but the lights were stuck in the "off" position.

I heard footsteps, and I was able to hide behind one of the crates. _Whoever it was that came down here knew I was messing with their so-called ingenious plan, _I calculated.

_Whatever _that_ was._


	9. Chapter 9: Mystery Solved

A figure came above me, and I slid under the person's legs to slip away. I ran upstairs and headed back to my dorm. Pulling out my cell phone, I called Jeanette. She was the only person who could help me out (besides the Mystery Inc, but I figured they were too busy).

"Hello?" came Jeanette's voice on the other end.

"Hey, it's me," I answered. "Do you know anything about traps?"

"I could set one up if you need me to."

"Think you can do it for whoever's putting the lights out?"

"Consider it done."

I sighed. "Thanks."

"You just have to be the bait."

"WHAT?"

"Just bear with me, Si. Lead this person to the lobby. I have Ally working the trap with Dani. Find Dustin and lure whoever this person is up to the lobby. We'll take care of it from there."

"As you said, consider it done."

Hanging up, I rushed outside to the lobby, where Chase and I made a head-on collision.

"Sorry," he said. "Need help up?"

"Nah, I'm alright," I answered. "Let's get back down to that basement and end this."

The two of us made our way to the basement, where the figure was still at the main switch.

"Come on," Dustin said. "You know we're just gonna mess things up for you."

No reply.

The two of us moved in closer.

"Dustin," I said, "tell Jeanette to cancel that trap. I think I've got this mystery solved." I made my way over towards the figure once again and sighed. "Mom, lose the get-up. You've been finished."

Vinny turned around. "Alright, boys," she replied. "You've got me. You won't rat on Mystery Inc, will you?"

"On the contrary," Fred began, "we've been here the entire time."

"Guys, I can tell she's not down here to cause trouble," I told them. "She just wanted to give us a little Haloween scare before the dance tonight."

Vinny smiled. "Exactly."

Dustin looked at me in shock. "Damn, you're good."

"Now, come on," I said. "Why don't we get the gym set up for tonight?"

My mother smiled again. "I couldn't agree more."


	10. Chapter 10: The Dance

After setting up, the dance was finally underway, and the only person that could be the happiest out of all of us was Mitch, who was standing next to me in his football player costume.

"She said 'yes'!" he shouted. "I can't believe it! She wants _me_ to go to the dance with _her!_"

"Good for you, Mitch," I said as I poured some punch into a glass.

"Hey, I think your mom's gonna announce the winners of the costume contest."

The two of us took a seat at one of the tables in the gym. My mother was just getting on stage when we sat down.

"Hello, everyone," she began. "It's now time for the winners of the contest. In third place is... Mitch as a football player."

Mitch threw his arms up. "Woohoo!"

I laughed at his crazy behavior.

"In second place is... Dustin as a werewolf."

_Yeah, right,_ I thought. _I could beat that while being authentic, but risking my life just for that... No way in hell._

"And finally, in first place... The winner is... Ally as a vampire cheerleader!"

I knew she was going to win, and to tell you the truth, I made the costume for her myself.

Needless to say, job well done. However, nothing could prepare me for the news about to come.

"Everyone, I have a few announcements," Vinny told everyone. "First, I have found someone who would like to adopt Ally."

Taken by surprise, I could see Ally covering her mouth. Biting my tongue, I waited for what else my mother had to say.

"Secondly, I just wanted to say that... I'm engaged to Ally's new father."

I could hear Theodore gasp from across the room as well as Alvin. The girls hugged Ally, while Dustin and Jake just stood in amazement.

After hearing that news, I couldn't have been more upset with my mother. Why had she not told us about this guy? And why would she hide _anything _from us? What makes this guy so special that she wanted to keep him from us?

My mother came and sat next to me at the punch table. "Listen, I know you're probably mad at me, but if there's anyway I can make it up to you, I will."

"Could I possibly meet your new fiancee?"

"Of course! ... Wait, you mean right now?"

I smiled. "Well, yes."

She laughed. "Okay then. I'll be right back."

I watched as she walked away and as Ally came and took her spot.

"This is... nice," she said. "We might not be dating, but this is the next best thing."

"Yeah," I replied. "Did Dustin say anything about me while you were with him?"

"He said that I can still kiss you on the lips and he'll know it won't mean a thing."

I laughed. "Sorry, but it's a little late for that now."

"Yeah, I know... Oh, here comes 'Dad'." She giggled. "I better move along."

"And just where do you think you're going, young lady?" I heard my mother ask Ally. "You want to meet your father, don't you?" By her side was none other than Brice Wayne, the one-and-only famous toy creator.

Otherwise known as 'Dad'.

"Well," he said, "when you told me Simon was the spitting image of me, you weren't kidding around."

I smiled. _Finally, _I thought. _Some good luck._

"Nice to meet the both of you," Brice continued. He suddenly turned to me. "I guess the two of us needed to do a little bonding."

My hands became clammy from being so nervous. "I guess so."

"Are you alright, son?"

"Yeah, it's just a lot to take in during one night."

He laughed "I understand completely... What do you say to a little bonding time tomorrow after school?"

"Sure! I'll meet you then."

As Brice walked away, Vinny took the spot across from me. "Are we even now, Simon?"

I went over to hug her. "Absolutely. Just try not to do anything like this again unless we know."

She laughed. "Agreed... Simon, there's one more song left, and I know someone who'll need your company."

Looking around, I spotted Jeanette standing alone against the wall. "Right. I'm on it." I went over to Jeanette. "Would you like to dance?"

Blushing, she answered, "As long as we can maybe... start over... and maybe have an... official relationship."

I grabbed her by the hand. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to say that."

"Well, at least we've made it this far. God knows what we can do when we're together."

"Let's just take it slow, Jeanette. We need to rebuild what we have between us from the bottom up again."

She leaned her head into my shoulder. "That's okay with me. As long as we're together, I'm happy."

I smiled. "Same here, Jeanette. Same here."


End file.
